Method of making closure flap structures



Sept. 4, 1951 c. H. FITTERLING METHOD OF MAKING CLOSURE FLAP STRUCTURES Original Filed Dec. 9, 1946 U INVENTOR. Ceca Hi2 zit er/i Patented Sept. 4, 1951 METHOD OF MAKING CLOSURE FLAP STRUCTURES Cecil H. Fitterling, South Bend, Ind., assignor to Mishawaka Rubber and Woolen Manufacturing Company, Mishawaka, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Original application December 9, 1946, Serial No. 714,958. Divided and this application July 3, 1950, Serial No. 171,983

4 Claims. 1

This invention relates to overshoes or the like having an opening at the front closed by a flap which is permanently attached to the upper at one side of the opening and overlaps and is detachably secured to the upper at the other side of the opening-the invention having reference more particularly to improvements in the method of making such flat structuresthe present application being a division of my application Serial No. 714,958 filed December 9, 1946, now Patent Number 2,517,189, granted August 1, 1950.

In overshoes of the above mentioned type, which are often referred to as gaiters, it is desirable that the closing flap, hereinafter referred to as the outer flap, and the part which it overlaps, hereinafter referred to as the inner flap, be integrally connected with the respective sides or quarters of the upper so as to insure inseparable attachment thereof, the outer flap preferably having an outer facing which is a continuation of the outer facing of the side or quarter to which it is attached so that there is no joint at the front which may come loose or detract from the appearance of the overshoe.

It is important, moreover, that the flap arrangement be of such character that the overshoe may be assembled without difiiculty by the ordinary workman and that the flaps be arranged to fit together neatly and closely not only for attractiveness of appearance but also to insure ample protection in cold and wet weather.

The principal objects of my invention are to provide an improved method of making such overshoes or gaiters; to construct the overshoe or gaiter with a pre-assembled flap insert which facilitates the making of the overshoe or gaiter and insures a neat, compact and close fitting closure; to construct the overshoe upper with a 2 front of the overshoe taken on the line 2-4 of Fig. 1;

facing and a lining which are undivided at the front in the assembling and subsequently slitted to provide the opening at the overshoe front; to incorporate in the assembly facilities by which the slitting is conveniently and accurately accomplished; to permit the edge of the outer flap to be readily contoured in any desired configuration; and in general to simplify the construction of such overshoes or gaiters and insure a particularly neat and attractive appearance-these and other objects being accomplished as pointed out more fully hereinafter and as shown in the accompanying drawing, in which Fig, 1 is a perspective view of an overshoe or gaiter constructed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view across the Fig. 3 is front view of the flap insert employed in the making of the overshoe, with portions thereof broken away to disclose details of the construction;

Fig. 4 is a rear view of the flap insert of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a front view of the lining blank of the overshoe upper with the flap insert of Figs. 3 and 4 secured in place thereon;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a front view of the slitter plate by which the assembled overshoe facing is. slitted down the front of the overshoe; and

Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional view across the front of the assembled overshoe upper, showing the operation by which the slitting of the Overshce facing is performed,

Referring to the drawing, the illustrated over.- shoe is of a conventional form having an upper It with fabric lining I l and rubber or other similar composition facing l2 and has an opening I3 down the front closed by an outer flap which overlaps and is securable by snap fasteners to an underlying portion or inner flap [5, the snap fasteners comprising the usual male element It on the inner flap I5 and companion female element I! on the outer flap M.

The upper is formed. with a heel covering portion I8, of suitable shape for the heel of the shoe on which the overshoe is intended to be used, and has the usual rubber bottom or sole I9 attached thereto, and in the particular overshoe illustrated, the upper has a collarette portion 20 extending above the location of the closin flaps i4 and [5.

The lining l I of the present overshoe is a single piece of stretchable fabric of a shape substantially as shown in Fig. 5, having a toe portion 2|, collarette portion 26a and heel portions 18a, and is shaped to the required form of the overshoe upper and has the edges 22 thereof secured together at the back of the overshoe. The facin l2, which is likewise a single piece of material such as calendered gum stock, usually embossed with an attractive design, and is of substantially the same shape as the lining, is secured to the outer surface of the lining I l and has edges, corresponding to the edges 22 of the lining, likewise secured together at the back of the overshoe.

At the front of the overshoe, the lining H i slitted part way down the front to provide theopening it, and at a place laterally spaced :frclfn the linin slit or opening It, the facing 12 is slit as at 23, thereby providing overlapping portions or inner and outer flaps 24 and 25 respectively of the lining and facing, the slit at l3 being along a substantially straight line and the slit 23 being preferably along a line which will form the outer flap with a scalloped edge substantially as shown.

These lining and facing flap portions 24 and 25 are reinforced by an insert which is interposed there-between and comprosed of overlying parts separated by a slit which coincides with the slit [3 of the lining H and connected only at their lower ends beyond the lower end of the slit l3, these parts being secured respectively to the front of the lining flap 24 and to the back of the facing flap 25.

The part of said insert which is'secured to the front of the lining flap 24 comprises a fabric layer 25a which is cemented and vulcanized to the front thereto.

4 in Figs. 3 and 4. This insert is made up with a piece of unslitted square woven fabric folded over along the line 30 to form superposed parts 26a and 26b. which eventually, after assembling in the overshoe, are slitted at 13 to provide the parts a and 262) respectively of the finished overshoe, said piece of fabric being frictioned or gum coated on all surfaces except that constituting the inner side of the folded part 2617.

The outer surface of the part 2% is laid on a piece 28 of square woven fabric, which is frictioned or gum coated on both sides, so that a portion 28a of the piece 28 projects beyond the fold 35, and the part 262) is stitched or rolled down securely onto the fabric 28 so as to adhere firmly A piece of gum stock 21, with the same embossing as the facing I2 is secured to the inner of the lining flap 24 and a facing 21 of' rubber will have the same outer appearance as the over- 1 shoe upper. v

The other part of said reinforcing insert which is secured to the facing flap 25 comprises a fabric layer 28 which is cementedrand'vulcanized to the underside 'of the flap 25 and extends well beyond the slit l3 as indicated at 28a in Fig. 2, and a layer of fabric 25b which is cemented and vulcanized to the underside of the fabric 28 and extends only to the slit l3, and both of these fabric layers 28 and 26b extend to the outer edge of the facing flap 25 where their outer edges conform to the edge contour 23.. of that flap.

The edges of the layers 26a and 27 on the lining flap 24 remote from the slit 13 are likewise of the same contour as the slit 23 but extend slightly therebeyond where they are. covered by a rib like formation 29 of rubber composition which conforms to the outer margin of the composite outer flap [4 and provides in effect a shouldered recess within which theouter edge of said composite flap l4 engages in the closed position of said flap.

The fabric parts 26a and 26b are preferably parts of a single piece of fabric, such as shown in Figs. 3, l; 6 and 8, doubled over as at 35 and slitted at or substantially at the fold 30 nearly to the lower end to provide the slit l3, but beyond the lower end of the slit the folded parts are left connected with one another and at the connected place there is a patch 3| (see Fig. 4) of a stout fabric secured-tothe folded side 26a of the fabric 26 and to the fabric layer 28 beyond the fold 39 to reinforce the lower end of the slit iii. In the finished overshoe this reinforcing patch 3| lies between the lower end of the flap insert and the lining l I and is cemented and vulcanized thereto.

The snap fastener elements H are preferably located in the lobular portions of scallop edged flap [4 as shown in Fig. 1 and the mating elements 16 are correspondingly located on the inner flap l5 so that when fastened together the outer flap [4 fits neatly within the shoulder recess formed by the rib 29. Preferably the fabric 260. of the inner flap l5 has reinforcing disks (see Figs. 4 and 6) on the rear, covered by the lining H, where the fastener elements l6 are secured thereto.

In making the above described overshoe, an insert which is to provide the parts 26a and 2'! of the inner flap l5 and the parts 25?) and 28 of the outer flap I4 is made up separately as shown side of the part 25a of the folded fabric strip, after which this assembly is then cut to the desired shapeshowh in Figs. 3 and 4, preferably with'both parts 25a and 2% having corresponding scalloped edges somewhat as shown and with the scalloped edge 33 of the parts 25b and 28 as indicated at 34 in Fig. 3.

Small disks 35 cut from frictioned fabric are applied to the outer face of the part 26a where the snap fastener elements l6 are to be inserted and a small patch 3! of strong coated fabric is secured at the lower end of the flap insert assembly to the folded side 26a and to the extension 28a was to extend across the fold 30.

The entire flap insert assembly, thus prepared is then laid on the outer side of the lining blank i I, which is rubber coated on the outer side only, in the position shown in Fig. 5 with the folded edge 30 lying along the center line 36 of the lining blank and with the side shown in Fig. 4 next to the lining and is rolled down firmly in place on the lining. a

A thin metalplate 3'! such as shown in Fig. '7 having an upturned cutting edge 38 of the same contour as the outer edge 33 of the fiap insert parts 2519,28, is then inserted between the layers 25b and 27 with the cutting edge 38 abutting against the edge 33 as shown in Fig. 8, after which the outer facing blank of uncured rubber, which is of a shape corresponding to that of the lining II, is applied on the lining blank H and over the flap insert and rolled down securely in place thereon.

In rolling the facing blank 12 down over the front of the flap insert, the hard roller used for the purpose and indicated at 39, when rolled over the cutting edge 38 causes this sharpened cutting edge to cut through the facing blank I2 and produce the slit 23 separating the outer flap portion 25 of the facing from the portion of the facing therebeyond.

Then the cutting plate 31 is preferably removed through the slot 23, after which the assembled lining and facing is shaped on the last and the edges 22 of the lining H and the corresponding edges of the facing 12 secured together at the back of the overshoe last.

After the assembly of the overshoe on the last, the overshoe is vulcanized thereon, after which the vulcanized overshoe is slit down the front at.

the collar 20 and therefrom at l 3 along the fold 30, which permits removal of the Vulcanized overshoe from the last, and then the fastener elements l5 and I? are applied at the proper place to closethe outer flap ;l 4 against the inner flap I5 so that the outer edge of the flap l4 engages neatly withinthe corner seal along the rib 29.;

As hereinbefore mentioned, the edges of the layers 21 and 26a extend slightly beyond the edges of the layers 25 and 26b of the outer fia'p I 4, thereby slightly offsetting the rubber facing l2 along the outer edges of the layers 26a and 27, and thus producing the rib effect 29, and in view of the slitting of the outer covering l2 along the rib formation and the slitting at I3 the parts fit together closely at these places when the overshoe flap I4 is closed and provide a substantially weather-proof closure.

While I have shown and described my invention in preferred forms, I am aware that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the principles of the invention, the scope of which is to be limited only by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. The method of making an overshoe of the class described which said method comprises preparing an elongated folded flap forming insert with the fold extending lengthwise thereof, then inserting in the insert a plate having an upturned cutting edge extending along a free edge of the folded insert and interposing said insert and plate between a lining and a facing blank, then after securing the insert to the lining and facing and the lining and facing to one another, pressing the facing against said cutting edge and thereby forming a slit in the facing, and then removing the said plate from the insert through said slit.

2. The method of making a laminated assembly having a slit with closed ends in one of the laminations, which said method comprises securing two sheets together around an interposed cutting member which has a cutting edge presented toward the sheet in which the slit is to be formed and provided with terminal ends to form the slit ends, then pressing said sheet against said cutting edge throughout the length of said edge and thereby forming a slit in said sheet, and then'removing the cutting member through the slit.

3. The method of making an article with a composite lining and slitted facing which said method comprises securing the facing and lining together around an interposed cutter having an upturned cutting edge with terminal ends, then pressing the facing against the cutting edge to produce a slit, and then removing said member from between the lining and facing through the slit. 4. The method of making an overshoe of the class described with an upper composed of a lining having a facing secured thereto and slit down the front, which said method comprises preparing a lining blank and a facing blank, then securing said blanks together around an interposed plate having an upturned cutting edge with terminal ends, then pressing the facing blank against the cutting edge and thereby forming a slit in the facing blank, and then removing said member through the slit.

CECIL H. FITTERLING.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Addition to No. 662,888 

